Needle-cylinder for circular-knitting machines.



H. SWINGLEHURST. NEEDLE CYLINDER FCR CIRCULAR WITT-INC MACHXNBS.

APPLICATION FILED O0T.5,911.

:llg Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

f www @vv J eSSCHUSETTS, SSIGNOL TO SCOTT 65 VJLLllltll/IS, ING., OIE' PHILADELEE'HA, ENNSYLVANIA, il. CRlI'GP-TION OF NEVI] NEEDLE-CYLINDER EUR CRCUL'AR-KNITTING; MACHINE.

toedoen Specification ot Letters ?atent.

raient-en trae. a, ieri.

application filed ctober 5, 191i. Serial. No. 553,004.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, llill/inni. Swmcitnnuns/r, a citizen of the United States., and a resident of Boston, in the .county of Sudolk yand State of Massachusetts, have' invented an Improvement in Needle-Cylinders for LCircnlanKnitting hllach'ines, of which the following' description, in connection with the accompanying drafings, is'a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to needle cylinders for circular knitting machines.

ln order that the principle ot the invention may be readily understood, l have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawing, Wherein- Figure l is a plan view of a needle cyl- .inder embodying;` my invention; Fig.' 2 is a vertical, central section thereof; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion ot the said cylinder.

The needle -cylinder embodying my invention maybe either of the rotary or stationary type; that is to say, it may be em ployed in machines Where either the needle cylinder or the cam cylinder is rotated in the glu'oduction of the Work.

lileedle'cylinders have heretofore been built up of three super-posed rings, the middle ring being of greatest length and having applied to its outer face the needle spacing' bars or Walls which are held in position by the upper and lower rings. Such construction is objecionable in that the upper ring, serving` to hold in place the upper ends of the said spacing' bars, is liable to become ofi"- set n little `trom its true position, thus twist`- 'ing or displacingT the said spacing bars. To overcome this objection is one of the important purposes of my invention.

l'leferring more particularly to the drawings, the needle cylinder therein shown is represented as composed of a main or body rinoY l. and a lower' or clamping ring 2 of suitable dimensions. l have herein shown n sinker cylinder 3 fitted into the upper end of the ring l, but it is evident that my inu venlion is applicable to needle cylinders not employing sinkers or wherein the sinkers 3,1'6 OtllerVVlSB nlollllld.

The nmin or body 'ring l is formed on its outer hun with n series of grooves 4. correspending:r in number to the number ol Aseries ot' bars 9, each wall Whereoit needles to be employed. Between the walls of the grooves are inserted a co-rresp 'n1ding 5 Yforming the Walls of the These bars are of suitable thickness and ol" a Width sullicient to cause them to project beyond the outer tace of the cylinder to permit the play or the needles therein during' the knitting operation.

Preferably near its upper end the outer face oit the ring `l provided With an annular shoulder G and'at a suitable distance thereabove with a locking shoulder' or abutment l', preferably downwardly vand out- Wardly inclined as shown. Between the shoulders G, 7, is thus provided'an annular recess to receive the heads 8 of the bars 5. ltadially outside of the shoulder l", there may be provided vertical slots or grooves is herein shown as tapering at its lower end l0., the taper of which may correspond to the taper of the needle grooves.

Wall 6, thus permitting;i the cutting or ifornn inp; of these portions ot the ring; by a single rotary or other tool at one operation. b#

viously the character of the recess between the shoulders 6 and l' may be changed-to suit the shape of the heads fl oi' the spacing bars l preferably provide an annular groove l0 for the needle retaining band.

The ring Q is provided with a shoulder or abutment llhere shown as tapering or inclined and correspondi to the incl.z ation of the shoulder upon wie .lower end ot each spacing bar Si. 'lhe' ring 2 may be secured in any suitable man to the ring, as, for example, by serews i3 'tapped there'into. It desired, the rin v Q may be provided with a flange lei et its inner 'tace to t ke into a corresponding annuiar'recf s the inner face of the ring l. @he shoulders or abut ments 7 and l2 nre inclined toward eaclr other and receive between them the correspendinginclined portions of the needle bars or Walls 5. Y

In assembling the parts, the bars 5- are positioned in the grooves et with their upper und preferably inclined ends taking' against the annular shoulder 7, the heads 8 being' positioned between the shoulders 6 and/7. lf desired. each bar 5 may becurved or inclined at its inner face, as regnesentod at l0, to torni a shoulder to cooperate with the adjacent y`solder G. and mail" also be pro-- roo vided with a groove 17 to receive a second needle-retaining band. The clamping ring 2 is then placed in position, so that its shoulder 11 bears .against the shoulders 12 of the bars 5. By tightening the screws 13, the heads 8 of the bars or walls 5 are forced tightly against` the flange 7 of the ring 1.'

to turn each bar 5 about the shoulder 7 as a.

center, throwingthe bar outwardly with respect to its groove at the lower end thereof. AI am thus enabled to vlock the -bars 5 tightly in place even if they vary slightly in length,

and to avoid placing excessive strain upon.

them in the direction of their length, which would cause them to buckle and cramp the needle grooves formed between them. By employing merely the two rings l and 2, l' am enabled to'employ longer needle bars,

and hence to guide the needles more eiiectively.

It is'important that I provide means, suoli as the ring 2, for forcing the bars 5 upward instead of merely binding the lower ends of the bars by inward pressure, as has been i proposed, and also it is important that the construction be such that the ring 2 may force the bars 5 against an absolutely fixed partf-thatis, against an integral part of thel ring. 1 instead of against a third ring mounted upon the ring 2, and which might readily be displaced radially withrespect to the ring 1. v

The sinker cylinder 3, may be of any suitable character and construction, such, for example, as that shown in the patent to George D. Mayo, No. 726,17 8, April 21, 1903. Said sinker cylinder is provided on its outer face with a series of sinker receiving slots or grooves 18 corresponding in number to the needle receiving grooves of the ring 1. Viewing Fig. 3, it will be evident that the siuker grooves of the sinker cylinder vare slightly offset circumferentially with respect to the grooves of the needle cylinder', that is, with the spaces between the bars 5,thereoi,

Copies'iof this patent may be obtained for thus permitting the proper play of the inkers between the needles.

It will be evident from. the foregoing description tha'tlthe needlecylinder embodying my invention can be cheaply and expeditiously formed, and at the same time all the parts are held rigidly in intended position.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they vare used in a generic and descriptivesense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in' the following claims.

Claims..

1.'. A needle cylinder for knitting machines consisting of two superimposed rings, the uppermost thereof being Aprovided with vertical peripheral grooves, bars 5 positioned within 'said' grooves, the upper p0rtion of said uppermost ring having a pivotal shoulder-7 and fulcruming shoulders 6',- and the lower ring having a shoulder for imparting upward thrust to said bars 5.

2. A needle cylinder for knitting Inachines consisting of two superimposed rings, the uppermost thereof being provided with vertical, peripheral grooves, thelupper portion of said ring having integral therewith two annularly opposed spacing shoulders, needle bars or walls inserted in said grooves with their heads .positioned between sai shoulders, and the lowermost ring having an annular formation to engage the ,lowerends of said bars.

A needle cylinder for knitting ma.

chines consisting of a plurality of superimposed rings, one of. them having vertical peripheral grooves, barspositioned within said grooves, one of said-.rings having an abutment :tor the upper' ends of the bars and another ring having an opposed abut-ment for the lower end of the bar, there being fulcruming shoulders in the bottoms of said grooves adjacent one of said abutlnents to co-act with the latter;

ln testimony whereof, vI have signed my name to this speciiieation, .in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY SVINGLEHURST.

lVitnesses IRVING U. TowNsnND, tonnr H. KAMMLER.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

i Washington, D. C. i 

